REASON has entered the chat.

Beef’s in the air, and the West Coast isn’t wearing gas masks right now. After Joey Bada$$ fired shots at Kendrick Lamar and his West Coast affiliates, the responses came fast—from Daylyt and Ray Vaughn, both repping TDE. Joey clapped back with a diss track titled “The Finals,” but now REASON has entered the fray with “The Dead Apple,” turning this into a full-on 3-vs-1 scenario.

What’s interesting about “The Dead Apple” is how it starts. The track opens with a stripped-down instrumental—no bass, just a chill, minimal vibe. Over it, REASON calmly questions Joey Bada$$’s support system, calls out New York’s fall from dominance, and throws subtle jabs with a laid-back delivery. But halfway through, the track flips: the beat transforms into something straight out of a mob movie, and then we get a Cali-style take on Ja Rule’s classic “New York” beat. REASON dials up the aggression, doubling down on his claims that East Coast rappers are weak and that he’s ready for lyrical warfare at any level.

While the track feels a bit scattered in structure, it definitely has moments that are downright savage. Whether you’re on Team NY or Team West, this is shaping up to be one of the more intriguing coast-to-coast rap feuds in recent memory.

Did REASON slaughter here?

Quincy

Quincy is the creator of Ratings Game Music. He loves writing about music, taking long walks on beaches, and spaghetti that fights him back.